Carl Brigham
Encyclopedia
Carl Campbell Brigham was a professor of psychology at Princeton University
's Department of Psychology
and pioneer in the field of psychometrics
. His early writings influenced the eugenics movement
and anti-immigration legislation in the United States, but he later disowned these views. He was a chairman of the College Board
from 1923-26 and was the creator of the Scholastic Aptitude Test
.
to Charles Francis Brigham and Ida B. (Campbell) Brigham, the third of four children. His family has roots in early Massachusetts Bay Colony
with ancestors that included Thomas Brigham (1603-1653) and Edmund Rice
(1594-1663). Brigham earned all of his degrees (B.A., M.A. and Ph.D.) at Princeton University
. He married Elizabeth G F Duffield on 10 Feb 1923 and they had a daughter, Elizabeth H. Brigham (b. 1926).
, Brigham joined the military and was commissioned as 1st Lieutenant in the Sanitary Corps, psychological service from Oct. to Dec 1917 at Camp Dix. He was then assigned to Surgeon General's office in Washington DC with the group of psychologists revising army examinations to aid in selection off officer candidates. Jan to Mar 1918 he was at Camps Meade, Lee and Gordon, for psychological experiments. In April 1918, he was assigned the Tank Corps, but he never served overseas.
After the war in 1920, Brigham joined Princeton as a faculty member, and he collaborated with Robert Yerkes'
from the Army Mental Tests and published their results in the influential 1923 book, A Study of American Intelligence authored by Brigham with the forward by Yerkes. Analyzing the data from the Army tests, Brigham came to the conclusion that native born Americans had the highest intelligence out of the groups tested. He proclaimed the intellectual superiority of the "Nordic Race" and the inferiority of the "Alpine" (Eastern European) and "Mediterranean Races" and argued that immigration
should be carefully controlled to safeguard the "American Intelligence." Nothing troubled Brigham so much however, as miscegenation
between blacks and whites, as Brigham believed "Negroes" were by far the most intellectually inferior race.
Though he later in 1930 denounced his expressed views on the intellectual superiority of the "Nordic Race" and specifically disowned the book, it had already been instrumental in fueling anti-immigrant sentiment in America and the eugenics
debate. It was used most effectively by by Harry Laughlin in the 1924 congressional debates leading to anti-immigrant legislation
.
Brigham chaired the College Board
commission from 1923 to 1926, leading to the creation of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, now simply called the SAT Reasoning Test
.
Brigham died 24 January 1943 in Princeton.
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
's Department of Psychology
Princeton University Department of Psychology
The Princeton University Department of Psychology, located in Green Hall, is an academic department of Princeton University on the corner of Washington St. and William St. in Princeton, New Jersey. For over a century, the department has been one of the most notable psychology departments in the...
and pioneer in the field of psychometrics
Psychometrics
Psychometrics is the field of study concerned with the theory and technique of psychological measurement, which includes the measurement of knowledge, abilities, attitudes, personality traits, and educational measurement...
. His early writings influenced the eugenics movement
Eugenics
Eugenics is the "applied science or the bio-social movement which advocates the use of practices aimed at improving the genetic composition of a population", usually referring to human populations. The origins of the concept of eugenics began with certain interpretations of Mendelian inheritance,...
and anti-immigration legislation in the United States, but he later disowned these views. He was a chairman of the College Board
College Board
The College Board is a membership association in the United States that was formed in 1900 as the College Entrance Examination Board . It is composed of more than 5,900 schools, colleges, universities and other educational organizations. It sells standardized tests used by academically oriented...
from 1923-26 and was the creator of the Scholastic Aptitude Test
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
.
Early life, family and education
Carl Campbell Brigham was born May 4, 1890 in Marlborough, MassachusettsMarlborough, Massachusetts
Marlborough is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 38,499 at the 2010 census. Marlborough became a prosperous industrial town in the 19th century and made the transition to high technology industry in the late 20th century after the construction of the...
to Charles Francis Brigham and Ida B. (Campbell) Brigham, the third of four children. His family has roots in early Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
with ancestors that included Thomas Brigham (1603-1653) and Edmund Rice
Edmund Rice (1638)
Edmund Rice , was an early immigrant to Massachusetts Bay Colony who was born in Suffolk, England, and lived in Stanstead, Suffolk and Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire prior to sailing with his family to America. He arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in summer or fall of 1638, presumed to be first...
(1594-1663). Brigham earned all of his degrees (B.A., M.A. and Ph.D.) at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
. He married Elizabeth G F Duffield on 10 Feb 1923 and they had a daughter, Elizabeth H. Brigham (b. 1926).
Career
At the outbreak of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Brigham joined the military and was commissioned as 1st Lieutenant in the Sanitary Corps, psychological service from Oct. to Dec 1917 at Camp Dix. He was then assigned to Surgeon General's office in Washington DC with the group of psychologists revising army examinations to aid in selection off officer candidates. Jan to Mar 1918 he was at Camps Meade, Lee and Gordon, for psychological experiments. In April 1918, he was assigned the Tank Corps, but he never served overseas.
After the war in 1920, Brigham joined Princeton as a faculty member, and he collaborated with Robert Yerkes'
Robert Yerkes
Robert Mearns Yerkes was an American psychologist, ethologist, and primatologist best known for his work in intelligence testing and in the field of comparative psychology....
from the Army Mental Tests and published their results in the influential 1923 book, A Study of American Intelligence authored by Brigham with the forward by Yerkes. Analyzing the data from the Army tests, Brigham came to the conclusion that native born Americans had the highest intelligence out of the groups tested. He proclaimed the intellectual superiority of the "Nordic Race" and the inferiority of the "Alpine" (Eastern European) and "Mediterranean Races" and argued that immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
should be carefully controlled to safeguard the "American Intelligence." Nothing troubled Brigham so much however, as miscegenation
Miscegenation
Miscegenation is the mixing of different racial groups through marriage, cohabitation, sexual relations, and procreation....
between blacks and whites, as Brigham believed "Negroes" were by far the most intellectually inferior race.
Though he later in 1930 denounced his expressed views on the intellectual superiority of the "Nordic Race" and specifically disowned the book, it had already been instrumental in fueling anti-immigrant sentiment in America and the eugenics
Eugenics
Eugenics is the "applied science or the bio-social movement which advocates the use of practices aimed at improving the genetic composition of a population", usually referring to human populations. The origins of the concept of eugenics began with certain interpretations of Mendelian inheritance,...
debate. It was used most effectively by by Harry Laughlin in the 1924 congressional debates leading to anti-immigrant legislation
Immigration Act of 1924
The Immigration Act of 1924, or Johnson–Reed Act, including the National Origins Act, and Asian Exclusion Act , was a United States federal law that limited the annual number of immigrants who could be admitted from any country to 2% of the number of people from that country who were already...
.
Brigham chaired the College Board
College Board
The College Board is a membership association in the United States that was formed in 1900 as the College Entrance Examination Board . It is composed of more than 5,900 schools, colleges, universities and other educational organizations. It sells standardized tests used by academically oriented...
commission from 1923 to 1926, leading to the creation of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, now simply called the SAT Reasoning Test
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
.
Brigham died 24 January 1943 in Princeton.